Object Representation for Design-Unifying Cubes and Spheres,
Abstract
The way in which we represent physical objects in the computer greatly affects our ability to manipulate and reason about them. We are concerned with developing computer tools for conceptual design, and seek representations which are appropriate for both CAD and finite element calculations. Here, we highlight the use of superquadric functions for representing object surfaces and volumes. Using this representation bodies can be created as generic blobs and then molded, rather like clay, to the required shape using easily controlled parameters. These functions have attractive properties, including being able to represent angular bodies, such as cubes, with a smooth continuously differentiable surface. It is demonstrated that superquadrics can also be used to generate potential surfaces for plasticity. These do not have the traditional corner problems for surfaces, such as Tresca. Superquadrics can also be combined with the finite element representations to provide an efficient analysis scheme for calculating the dynamics of multi-body systems. (AN)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA291945
Entities
People
- Alex P. Pentland
- John R. Williams
Organizations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology